Rojuun

Chapter 28

Liselle reassured the boys that she was fine while they hovered around her bed with concerned looks.  She had slept a while longer before waking up hungry again.  Vevin had brought her more food, which she nibbled on.

Tathan sat at the foot of the bed.  “I’m glad you’re safe, Cousin.  A part of me knew you were fine, but another part worried the magic had damaged you.”  Liselle saw tears welling in his eyes. His jaw was set in a manly attempt not to let them flow.

“There’s no damage, Cousin,” Liselle told him softly.  “I know you’re worried about me.  I worked hard to keep that spell under control and just barely managed.  If I had made a mistake, I would have died,” she admitted.  “The plants in the cavern are different from plants above.  They give their energy differently and don’t have as much care for my well-being.”  Liselle held up a drumstick to make her next point.  She really liked the drumsticks and eyed it hungrily while talking.  “I learned quickly what happened and I will have no problem controlling it in the future.  Please believe that this will not happen again,” she finished and took a large bite of the drumstick that taunted her.

“I do believe you.  You learn magic faster than anyone I’ve known and show intelligence in using it,” Tathan said with relief in his voice.  “I feel a responsibility for you, Cousin.  I know you can take care of yourself, but I still feel as though I should look after you.”

Liselle wiped drumstick juice from her chin with a napkin Vevin handed her.  “I look to you for guidance, Tathan.  You know the world better than I do.  While you look after me, you’ve also been respectful of me, which is nice because it means I don’t have to bonk you in the head,” she finished with a wide grin, sticking her tongue out at him.

Sir Danth laughed loudly.  “Well said, Milady.  Well said.  It is good to see you in high spirits.  Have you been given your share of the reward, by the way?”

“Reward?  What reward?”  That got Liselle to stop eating for just a moment.  “We got a reward?  I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a reward before.”

Vevin brought it out in a beautiful box, which he opened.  “I wanted to wait ‘til everyone was here before giving it to you.”  The jewels on the platinum necklace glistened in the light of the room when he opened it.

Liselle brought a hand to her throat and gasped.  She ran fingers over the delicate weave of patterns in the necklace.  “It’s so beautiful.”

“Our actions in the cavern that first day were considered heroic,” Sir Danth explained.  “The Rojuun believe that horde of sstejj would have broken through the gate and overrun Garrrn Cavern had we not been there to fight.”  He crossed his arms and took a serious tone.  “I believe they may be right about that fact.”

“Oh, that reminds me.”  Liselle looked away from the necklace.  “Something is driving the sstejj to kill the Rojuun.  Something dark and sinister.”  Vevin put the necklace back in its box while Liselle grabbed another drumstick and began nomming on it.

“Something?  What sort of something, Milady?  Can you give us more detail?” Sir Danth asked.

“I don’t know.  The plants told me there’s something sinister driving the sstejj to kill Rojuun,” she said, waving the drumstick in emphasis.  “They don’t really speak or give me images, communicating in . . . concepts I suppose.”  She looked at the drumstick in disappointment, realizing that she wasn’t going to get to bite it until she finished speaking.  “The creature, whatever it is, lives in the dark depths of the caverns along with the sstejj.  They both have an unnatural hunger for the Rojuun and will keep trying to kill them until they’re exterminated.”  She pounced on the drumstick that had waited so patiently for her to finish.